CALPRO NWPKI MSSR

This project on using MSSR (Modified Sustained Silent Reading) allowed me to take my assumptions regarding reading and foreign language learning, and put them to the test. As a result, the students were the recipients of a wonderful opportunity to engage in an unconventional language learning approach, as the navigators of their own learning journey.

I chose a couple of different strategies for assessing how successful this new approach was in helping students.

First, I kept a log of the success or failure of different MSSR sessions, based on my observations. I “blogged” many of these observations on the www.calpronwpkimssr.blogspot.com website. I also noted the students’ personal reading logs. Part of the log included stating what the students liked or didn’t like about their books. This further helped me discern how students responded to the MSSR. Additionally, I noted the students’ language learning diaries. There were many opportunities for students to record what they were learning. How full or how empty the diaries were told me a lot about whether this process was helping them learn more.

Finally, I used the student surveys that I initially gave students back in January to cross check several key answers regarding reading. I did this individually. I met with each student and re-asked several questions off the survey, as well as their thoughts on the project as a whole. The overwhelming response was positive. What I found in students, was an acute awareness of their own learning gains throughout this “period of reading”. More than 95% of students involved with this intervention were able to specifically identify how Sustained Silent Reading contributed to their own language learning. Many students reported on the growth of their vocabulary. Many others reported that their reading speed had increased. Several others mentioned their lack of time at home to read. They also talked about being able to make a connection between the grammar and vocabulary learned in class, and the “written word” in a story. One student talked about being able to recognize and understand the grammar within the context of whatever she was reading. Some acknowledged that their interest and desire in reading had increased. A few students talked about how reading proved to be the means to learning more about U.S. history and important figures in American history. Along those same lines, others reported that reading increased their knowledge in the area of Science. One particular student mentioned the fact that she didn’t have access to these kinds of books that dealt with these particular subject matters, such as biographies and U.S. History. Across the board, all students who participated in this intervention said they enjoyed and welcomed the MSSR time in class and would like to continue incorporating this aspect of learning into our class curriculum.

The greatest challenge I had was a lack of time to devote to MSSR in the classroom. I was constantly trying to squeeze in MSSR or squeeze in the remainder of one of my mainstream lessons. When I allowed adequate MSSR time, I would often get behind in our main lesson. Conversely, to stay on track with the principal material would mean to significantly cut back on MSSR time, which makes the whole objective of Sustained Silent Reading null and void. This was and will continue to be a very difficult obstacle in bringing MSSR to the classroom. One way I reduced the barrier to this particular obstacle was to hold back all my students for another term. I had double the time I would normally have with a class. I was therefore able to continue to carve out significant time for MSSR, while addressing the level objectives pertinent to my class. Although this worked well, it is unlikely that I would be permitted to do this with future classes.

Now that I’ve completed my project in Modified Sustained Silent Reading, I’d encourage other practitioners, like myself to bring MSSR into their classrooms. Given the proper set-up and organization, MSSR in the classroom can be another successful practice used to foster learning in L2 students. Strong leadership from the teacher, continually explaining why reading is vital to their language learning and how they can make the most of the opportunity to read interesting and relevant material in class is also an important part of bringing MSSR into the adult ESL classroom.

I plan to continue to use the research done on SSR and Adult Second Language Learners to support use of SSR in the classroom. I will encourage other staff members in my organization to try it and provide support to them, as one who’s used this research in a practical way. This has been a very successful and rewarding project for me, and my class and I believe many other classes can benefit from it as well.

Comment/Question: The old timers teaching the new comers is very exciting. (What language do they talk?) We had a similar experience at the labschool and it illustrates Lave and Wenger's community of learning to a T.
- Dominique B.

Response: I agree. The old timers showing the new comers the ropes was quite exciting.
In response to your question, Dominique, both L1 and L2 were used in the exchanges. The pairing was completely random on my part. Some were paired with old timers that spoke their same native language and some were not. It really depended on who was ready and available to help the new students. I also considered who could best explain the process. But really, it just “happened” and it was beautiful!

April 11-15

This week has been great for MSSR. Students took a test on Tuesday, and were instructed to choose a book or book/tape from the library when finished with the test. I love this application of MSSR. As teachers, I know we have all struggled with what to do with students who finish class work much more quickly than others. This is the perfect solution. Eventually the entire class ends up reading, which at that point, I officially declare it MSSR time. The test time flows right in to the MSSR time, as natural as can be. This teaches students to use their time wisely. It is also a natural way to introduce MSSR into the classroom. And finally, it provides a profitable solution as to what to do with those students who are always ahead of the rest of the class and to the teacher’s chagrin, often influence class pace.

Today I was also encouraged to see students go to the library, without being told. They finished their work early, and very enthusiastically grabbed books and began reading. They are even grabbing their folders to keep up their language learning diaries and vocabulary lists. Oh, a teacher’s bliss!

Week of April 4th

This has been a great week! We came back to class after a week off for Spring Break. This week was the start of a new term for us, here at Mt. Diablo adult Education, but I was given permission to retain my entire class for the sake of continuing this MSSR project. I have also been receiving new students, and the "old" students have brought them up to speed on our MSSR process. Basically, I asked some of my more competent students to pair up with a new student and help create a reading folder, with the reading log and language learning diary. The veteran students also explained how to fill out the sheets, how the books are organized, where the dictionaries are located, etc.
This worked out quite well. Pairing the veteran students with the new ones was definitely the way to go. The new students were immediately able to interact with an established student, giving them a sense of being welcomed, and the teacher wasn't running around with her head cut-off, trying to accommodate all the new students as they wandered in!
The students were very engaged again, this week, during our MSSR time. It takes them a couple of minutes to quiet down, but with only a few reminders from me that this is Sustained Silent Reading, they settle in quite well. The tapes with books continue to be a popular choice, although the biographies are a close second.
I continue to remind students of why we do this. I remind them of how they told me of their lack of time to read at home. I remind them how beneficial reading is to their language learning. I remind them of how much vocabulary they glean. Continual "buy-in" is paramount to the process.

“Maybe I have missed it somewhere, but do you have a goal for how much time students spend on SSR? I am very excited to read this blog because I use SSR with my college-age ESL students. I have been very pleased with the way students have taken to it, but I haven't seen many other adult classes that use it. Please keep posting. I'm out here reading!”
- Posted by Nancy McKeand
(in Student Engagement and Finding a New SSR Time - Week of February 14, 2005)

The goal is to have students reading twice a week at 20-25 minutes per time. I believe this creates the consistency, without crowding out regular classroom instruction. In reality, 20 minutes doesn’t seem to be enough. By the time students gather around the bookcase, choose their books, or haggle over who’s going to use the new cassette players with accompanying books, they barely have enough time to really engage.
I am anxious to interview the students at the end of this project to really see if, and how their attitudes towards reading have changed.

Week of Feb 28

I finally received the order of books and tapes that I ordered from New Readers Press, and the students absolutely love them! I ordered 8 books in a series called Timeless Tales. There are Adventures, Fables, Folktales, Legends, Love Stories, Myths, Tales of Wonder, and Tall Tales. Each title comes with a tape and has anywhere from 6 to 11 short stories. The beauty of this is that a student can read and use a tape out of a certain series but doesn’t have to be tied to that same book for the next MSSR time. This creates an opportunity for greater use among a greater number of students. The other books in our library are longer chapter books which the student ends up reading for several MSSR sessions in a row.

Again, the students have given me great feed back on the books with tapes. They are really enjoying this new addition to the library.

I purchased the mini-cassette players with headphones at K-Mart for the low, low price of $5.99. I was very specific when choosing the cassette players. The criteria was cheap and no radio. I definitely didn’t want students to have access to the radio, and I have to say, cassette players without radios are not easy to find. I had to go to 4 or 5 places. I ended up at K Mart and then getting a few at Rite Aide. I bought out both places, and I still need to find one more, for a total of 8. The bookcase with key that I bought out of a Lakeshore Learning catalogue works well for securing everything.